Drive, Jimmy!... Just Drive! (Part 1 of Series)
by SpaceCowboyMedic
Summary: Jimmy & Bobby story. Completed. Rated for language. Dark deserted roads. A cabin unfound. Thick fogs...These are just some of the things that indicated Jimmy and Bobby are in the wrong place at the wrong time. So why then, do they get out of the car
1. Drive, Jimmy!... Just Drive! Chapter I

  
**Author's Note: This is probably more of a comedy, since it is my first attempt at horror. Anycrap, I broke it up because it's long, but it is a completed story and part of a series. It's also a little out of context, but it is 'Third Watch' all the way. I just thought I'd do a little something for Halloween.**  
  
  
Drive Jimmy!...Just Drive!  
********************  
  
"Would you quit that and put in a CD or something!" cried Jimmy, swatting Bobby's hand away from the car radio.  
  
"I wanna listen to KissFM," retorted Bobby, fighting the driver off with one hand while turning the dial with the other.  
  
Jimmy withdrew from the fight, sensing he'd never win against the stubborn paramedic anyway. "I don't think it's working," he observed with a sigh. "There must be bad reception around here."  
  
Bobby put his forehead to the passenger window and peered into the blackness of the night. "There's nothing out there," he reported snidely. "How can anything interfere with the reception? We're in the middle of BungHole, New York, on some country road. The only thing that should interfere with my listening to tunes is a cow out there holding a transponder... And I definitely ain't seeing that happening any time soon!"  
  
Subconsciously, Jimmy slowed the Jeep as he leaned forward to peer out the front window. He too noticed how desolate the area was- farmless, peopless and shrouded in darkness. He sat back in the driver's seat and picked up speed again. "Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere?" he suggested.  
  
The man beside him shrugged and flicked off the radio- the perpetual static finally grating on his nerves. This left them in near silence. The only sound coming from under the hood of Jimmy's Jeep.   
  
"Who gave you the directions?" Bobby asked, his voice echoing off the glass.  
  
"I got them from Bosco," replied Jimmy with a frown, now realizing his mistake.  
  
"You should have gotten them from Carlos, you moron."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Or better yet, from Davis. After all, he is the one who rented the place."  
  
Several weeks prior, Davis had gotten the idea that renting a cottage for a couple of days would do the guys of the 'third watch' all some good. The purpose, to isolate themselves and get in some good fishing and bonding. Well, Davis wanted to bond- he'd been watching too much Oprah lately. The others had just wanted to fish and drink beer.   
  
Davis had arranged the whole week-end trip, and now Jimmy and Bobby- who had been delayed in New York an extra day, were driving up to meet the rest of the group.  
  
Unfortunately somewhere along the way a wrong turn had been made. And now Jimmy and Bobby were driving along a deserted dirt road that seemed to not only lack in civilization, but road signs as well.   
  
"That's strange," commented Jimmy, quickly rolling down his window to inspect the sudden change of events. He stuck his hand outside and watched it dissolve in the light mist. "When did this appear?"  
  
Bobby shuddered when he looked out the front window. Out of nowhere a fog had descended upon them- filtering out what previous landscape they could see. "That was fast," he replied.  
  
Jimmy pulled his hand in and rolled up the window. "We better find a place to pull over and ask for directions," he said.  
  
"I'll call Davis." Bobby pulled out his cell phone. But after a few attempts to establish a line he hung it up and reached for Jimmy's.   
  
"Not working?"   
  
"Nope," replied Davis, re-dialing the number, this time on the firefighter's phone. "And neither is this," he finished, tossing the dead cell onto the dash. He leaned forward, peering up at the sky through the front windshield. "Maybe a storm's coming," he said with a shrug. "That might explain the reception being all fucked up."  
  
Jimmy nodded slowly and put both hands on the wheel. The fog was becoming thicker and he didn't want to take any chances of losing control. "Let's see-"  
  
"Watch out!" screamed Bobby, as he gripped the dashboard of the Jeep, readying himself for impact.  
  
Jimmy slammed on the brakes as the Jeep came to a screeching halt on the dark, deserted side road. With his heart pounding against his chest, he pried his hands off the steering wheel and stared out into the utter murkiness before him. He glanced at Bobby. "Where did they go?" he asked slowly.   
  
Bobby was leaning forward in his seat studying the eery landscape stretched out beyond the windshield- speechless and panting, with no reply.   
  
Jimmy rolled down his window, darting his head around to get a better picture of their surroundings. His heart beating rapidly, he could feel the sweat running down his back. The adrenaline rush was taking it's toll as he leaned out his window to look for the two bodies. "They...were just here..." he stammered in an excited voice. "I saw them at the last second. Where did they go?"  
  
Jimmy flushed as the image of two bodies, lying torn and bruised under the Jeep, crept into his mind. He quickly grabbed the door handle and rushed out of the vehicle. Bobby climbed out the other side and joined him at the front.   
  
Jimmy pointed to the ground, and the two men dropped to their knees and searched under the car for the two bodies. They looked at each other from their prone positions with shock and confusion.   
  
Nothing but empty space occupied the area.   
  
Jimmy hoisted himself upright while Bobby remained on the ground bewildered.  
  
Spinning on the spot, Jimmy tried to find the bodies that had been standing in this exact spot on the road just moments ago. "They were right here!" he exclaimed with concern, pointing at the ground.  
  
Bobby stood up and began his own spinning survey of the area. His effort came up empty. He was still shaking from the after shock of the adrenaline rush, and it was visible in his voice as he tilted the hat off his forehead and looked at Jimmy with uncertainty. "So, it's not just me? You saw them too?" he asked, his eyes wide with apprehension.  
  
"Yeah," replied Jimmy, still trying to find the two bodies somewhere on the road. "There was a woman and a little girl standing right here!" he exclaimed as he pointed to the gravel at his feet again. "They were right here!"  
  
"I saw them too," replied Bobby, rubbing his hands vigorously down his face. A sudden chill ran through his blood and he gripped Jimmy's arm tightly. He looked into his eyes as a sudden awareness sprang into his mind. "Did you feel the impact?" he asked slowly, not sure which answer he wanted to hear.  
  
"No," replied Jimmy, scratching his temple. "I don't think so...I was concentrating on stopping the Jeep I don't think I noticed."   
  
"This...this isn't good," stammered Bobby. "They have to be here somewhere! Let's look around," he suggested, as he slapped Jimmy on the shoulder and jogged around the side of the Jeep.   
  
Jimmy took a deep breath and decided to check the side of the road first- there was a chance the two bodies had been thrown to the side upon impact. It was a bit of a long shot, but there didn't seem to be any evidence of them anywhere else. He flicked on the light of his watch and used it as a flashlight to survey the ground.   
  
There were no streetlights in this area and the fog had grown more dense, making visibility almost nil. His watch light was not producing much illumination, so he decided to retrieve the real flashlight from the Jeep. He turned around to head back when he realized he was all alone. The mixture of fog and nightfall had made it impossible to see further than an arm's length away. "Bobby!" he called into the strange night.   
  
"Yeah!" came back his friend's muffled voice. Jimmy started walking in that direction until he could see the Jeep again. With a sigh of relief, he approached the open door of the vehicle and leaned in to find the flashlight.   
  
"Looking for this?" asked Bobby, sneaking up behind him and flashing the bright light into his eyes.  
  
Jimmy nearly jumped out of his skin. "Don't you ever do that again!" he yelled briskly, as he grabbed the flashlight from Bobby's hand.  
  
"Sorry," laughed the paramedic, as he surrendered the object. "Any luck?" he asked, leaning against the side of the car.  
  
"No. You?"  
  
Bobby shook his head. "This is weird," he started. "I know they were there, but why aren't they here now?"  
  
Jimmy just shrugged. He was just as confused as his friend, and he didn't know exactly what to say. He was sure there had been two bodies standing in the middle of the road, but now there was no evidence they had ever existed. With a new idea, Jimmy made a silent gesture for Bobby to stay put and swung around to the front of the Jeep.   
  
Never one to listen to Jimmy, Bobby followed and found the firefighter examining the ground inches from the front bumper. "What are you thinking?" he asked nervously.  
  
"There's nothing here," Jimmy answered, looking up at Bobby.  
  
"I know *that*."  
  
"No," started Jimmy, as he rose slowly. "I mean there's nothing here." He pointed to the ground waving his hand over the general area of the supposed accident. "There's no dent...no blood...no indication that anyone was even here." Jimmy's voice was shaky as enunciated his startling conclusion.  
  
"What about those?" Bobby asked, pointing to the mess of footprints on the gravel  
  
"Those are ours."  
  
"How can you be so sure? They could be someone else's?"  
  
"Do you see anyone else here?!" Jimmy exclaimed, as he brushed past Bobby on route back to the Jeep's door. He sat down and retrieved his phone from the dashboard. "Hello. Hello?" he repeated into the mouth piece, refusing to hear the constant static gushing from the ear piece.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Bobby, joining him at the door.  
  
"I'm reporting the accident- " Jimmy started, then realized it's pointlessness. What was he going to say?...911, we just ran over two pedestrians...No, no injuries...and no bodies either! He shook his head and replaced the cell phone on the dashboard.   
  
It just didn't make sense. They were driving along when all of a sudden two bodies, one woman and one child, appeared in the middle of the road immediately in front of the them. Jimmy was sure he had hit them, but couldn't figure out why he or Bobby couldn't find them anywhere. The situation was starting to scare him a little- to say the least.   
  
The road they were on was dark and deserted, and the fog was making it feel all the more spooky. Most of the houses and farms in this area were a good distance from the road, which added isolation to the already frightful predicament. "Well," started Jimmy, feeling helpless. "I guess we should- "  
  
"Hey wait," whispered Bobby, grabbing his arm. "I think I hear something," he continued, as he pushed off from the Jeep and stepped towards the side of the road.   
  
Jimmy leaned forward and listened intensely for any break in the sheer silence. He put his foot on the ground and the gravel shifted under his footfall.  
  
"Shhh!" urged Bobby, waving his hand at him behind his back. Jimmy cast an irritated glance and craned forward to listen again. "Hello!" called Bobby into the bleak night. "Is anyone out there?"  
  
Then Jimmy heard it too.   
  
He could hear heavy breathing coming closer to their position. He stood up slowly and approached his friend who was leaning with his ear pointed in the direction of the sound. The panting became louder and Jimmy couldn't help but place a hand on Bobby's shoulder.   
  
The motion startled Bobby, but he quickly regained composure. The two of them stood there in certain silence squinting into the fog, waiting anxiously to see what would be accompanying the heavy panting.   
  
Jimmy was aware of himself holding his breath, and he was pretty sure Bobby was too. The panting grew louder and more rapid as the two men stood frozen as statues on the road.   
  
Then it appeared.   
  
*********  
  
(Read on...please.)  
  



	2. Drive, Jimmy!... Just Drive! Chapter II

  
Drive Jimmy!...Just Drive!  
********************  
  
  
Just a few feet in front of them a small child came to a rearing halt, panting and waving her arms.   
  
Jimmy and Bobby jumped back out of reflex and grabbed their chests. There was no way to tell what was going to appear out of the fog, and in the few seconds from when the panting had begun Jimmy had strange and fearsome images run rampant through his mind. He let out the breath he was holding as he laughed at himself for overreacting. He bent down and put a shoulder on the small girl who had been the cause of his unwarranted stress. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Help...you have to come quickly..." the girl panted, trying to catch her breath.  
  
"What happened?" Jimmy asked, reaching for her other shoulder.  
  
The girl finally caught her breath and was able to articulate her dilemma. "It's my mother," she cried. "She's asleep and I can't wake her up!"  
  
"It's all right," soothed Jimmy. "Where is she?" He glanced over his shoulder to introduce Bobby, and found him still standing in the same position- grasping his chest and staring blankly into the fog. "Hey!" he shouted, slapping him on the leg. "Bobby!"  
  
Bobby jumped and blinked back at his friend stunned. Finally comprehension crept through him and he gained composure. Jimmy pointed back at the Jeep and told him to lock it up, they were going to help this little girl's mother.   
  
Bobby complied and returned moments later. "What exactly do you think we'll be able to do?" he asked, speaking quietly so as not to frighten the girl. "I don't have any equipment here."  
  
Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "But if we hit her, we should probably see if she's all right. And maybe they have a phone we can use."   
  
Bobby nodded uncertainly and raised an eyebrow. "And just for the record," he started. "You were driving. So change that 'we hit her' to a 'you hit her' thank you very much."  
  
Jimmy scowled and motioned for Bobby to keep his voice down. They didn't have the time to get into a semantic argument, so he pushed his friend ahead with a silent warning.  
  
They followed the girl into the fog, wondering how in the world she had found them in this mess. But she seemed to know where she was going, so the two men followed closely behind. Neither wanted to lose sight of the other for fear of being lost. And it was easy to become so when trudging in cloudy darkness through farmer's fields.   
  
After a moment of walking into the abyss, Bobby leaned in close to Jimmy so the girl wouldn't hear. "Hey," he whispered. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
"You know when we were listening to the girl approaching?" Bobby asked skeptically.  
  
"Yeah, how could I forget?" responded Jimmy with a frown.  
  
"You heard her breathing real hard right?...Like she was running real fast right?"  
  
Jimmy thought about this a moment and nodded slowly, not sure where Bobby was going with this.  
  
Bobby swallowed hard as he tried to continue. "Did you hear her footsteps?"   
  
Jimmy almost stopped dead in his tracks. *No, I didn't.* He thought to himself. He quickly picked up the pace, giving the little girl a tug on the arm to get her moving faster. "There must have been footsteps," he whispered back to Bobby. "We just didn't hear them," he finally answered, more for his own benefit than his friend's.  
  
"Yeah," Bobby answered, insecurely. He looked down at his feet as they stepped one after the other through the thick mud of the field. "But why is it so loud now?" he asked, as his foot made another loud sloshing noise in the mud.  
  
Bobby was right. They were making a considerable amount of noise trudging through the mud, and Jimmy couldn't understand why they hadn't heard the little girl running through it earlier. There were a lot of things he wasn't understanding at this time. But he was certain that he wanted to get to the mother, see if they could help, and get the hell out of Dodge. Their situation was becoming all to surreal.   
  
"Sir," said the small girl startling him. "Can we hurry? My mother needs help."   
  
Jimmy picked up the pace again.   
  
They had been walking through the pea soup for over five minutes and they had yet to reach the woman. *How far back is she?* He thought to himself. He looked down at the girl clinging to his hand. "Was she just involved in a car accident?" he asked curiously.   
  
"Accident?" asked the girl, surprised. "There was no accident was there?"  
  
Jimmy looked at Bobby skeptically, who replied with shrugged shoulders. Now, Jimmy was definite he wanted to get this night over with as soon as humanly possible.   
  
*********   
  
The fog let up a bit as they entered a clearing.   
  
A huge, looming structure was standing in the middle of an emence field surrounded by dense trees. It stood three stories high and looked to be at least the size of a small warehouse. It was dark and ominous with ivy creeping across the first two floors and winding it's way around the sides. A chimney jutted out from the right corner of the roof, silhouetted by thick fog. There was a large oak door situated smack dab in the middle of the mansion's face with a small entrance light that gave next to no illumination.   
  
The house appeared to be older than dirt and slightly out of place for farmland. Jimmy noticed a window on the second floor had lights on, and he could make out the figure of a person watching them. He gulped and tried to shake the eerie feeling creeping down his spine.   
  
The wind had suddenly picked up, causing the trees to wave their long creaking branches, straining them against their rooted structures. Sudden thoughts of white washed butlers dragging chains, and quirkey little men with strange accents crept into his imagination.   
  
The girl dropped Jimmy's hand and ran for the front door. When he and Bobby caught up with her, she pushed the heavy, auspicious door open for them. Then she ran deeper into the heart of the house, disappearing into the darkness.   
  
Jimmy stepped into the hallway after pushing Bobby in first. "Hello," he said quietly. Part of him was afraid to hear a response.  
  
"Hello!" called Bobby, more loudly. "Little girl?!"  
  
A gust of wind rushed past them and the front door slammed shut, it's thud echoing throughout the house. Jimmy and Bobby screamed and raced for the door. Their first instinct was to get out.   
  
*Maybe the woman was just napping and would wake up on her own?* Thought Jimmy, as he tried unsuccessfully to turn the giant door knob.   
  
Bobby was right behind him- apparently sharing the same idea. They were fighting for the door knob when a hand grabbed Bobby by the shoulder. The paramedic couldn't help but scream as he spun around to come face to face with an elderly gentleman wearing an antiquated English tuxedo. Bobby's mouth went dry, and he was about to plead for their safety when the grey haired, sullen faced man spoke up.   
  
"She is in the parlour," he said with perfect enunciation.  
  
"Parlour?" croaked Jimmy, returning the vase he had procured from a nearby table. He had grabbed it out of reflex fear, and now, as he placed it back on it's perch, he felt slightly embarrassed.   
  
"Yes," continued the gentleman. "Mrs.Whittler is in the parlour. You are the two men, Miss Sarah, brought from the road are you not?"  
  
"Yeah," started Bobby, pulling himself together. He stood as tall as he could, portraying a man of no fear...even though he wasn't. "Yeah, we're the men."  
  
"Follow me then," replied the man in a deadpan voice.   
  
Jimmy and Bobby complied in silence and confusion. Neither one wanted to admit to their recent outburst, so they figured if it remained unmentioned- it never happened.   
  
The parlour was located off to the right of the great hallway, and Jimmy and Bobby were relieved when they entered and saw the little girl. She was kneeling beside an unconscious woman; lying on a velvet couch in the middle of the antechamber.   
  
At the far end of the room was a fireplace burning brightly between two large windows. A man was leaning against the mantle smoking a pipe and wearing a navy blue smoking jacket. He resembled an old matinee idol Jimmy had seen in one of Lombardo's classic late night movies. Behind the couch was another woman of considerable age, wringing a delicate handkerchief between her gaudily enjeweled hands.   
  
"Mother," said the girl in a quiet voice. "I have brought help." She gestured to Jimmy and Bobby with her small hand. "Please wake up mother," she pleaded, as she buried her head in the pillow beside her mother's head.  
  
Jimmy and Bobby shared hesitant glances. The ominous building on fire, the odd assortment of people suffering from trauma, those things they could handle. Those things came with the job. But this scene just seemed to reek of bad news.  
  
Finally, Bobby gently moved the girl called, Sarah, away from the couch so Jimmy could take a better look. He waved his friend over, not wanting to be the one in the position of reposibility. Firefighters were renowned first responders, so he figured Jimmy was well enough trained to be the first man in. Bobby then proceeded to a desk under one of the windows and asked to use the phone.   
  
Jimmy shook the woman gently trying to arouse her- with no result. He looked at Bobby. "Are you calling 911?" he asked.  
  
Bobby kept the receiver to his ear as he played with the dials on the phone. He was getting no reception, not even static. He called into the phone knowing he would get no response, but felt better doing it. Giving up, he held the phone out and furrowed his brow. "I'm not getting anything," he pronounced dumbfounded.  
  
"Nothing at all?" asked Jimmy, his blood pressure suddenly dropping into his boots.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"The magnetic static from the lightening must be causing interference," offered the man leaning on the mantle. "It has knocked down all the power lines in the area and has left us rather stranded I must say," he said matter-of-factly, as he took a puff on his pipe.  
  
Bobby thought about that a moment. It seemed reasonable. Then he shook his head. "What lightening?" he asked, both confused and slightly irritated. "There's no..." He was suddenly interrupted by a loud clap of thunder, followed by a blinding flash of light that lit up the entire room.   
  
Bobby stood speechless as torrential rain began to beat against the windows. "Oh that storm," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He quickly hung up the useless phone and crossed the room to join Jimmy. He knelt down beside him and examined the sleeping woman with feigned concern. "My professional opinion says she's okay," he said, standing to leave. "Gotta go."  
  
Jimmy wanted to agree with his friend and get the hell out of there, but the woman was still unconscious and needed help. "Just relax," he said looking up at an anxious Bobby. "Let's just check her out and then we can get going." He reached for a glass of water on the ornate coffee table and contemplated it's usefulness.   
  
"How does she look?" asked Bobby, as he knelt down again. This time with more medical training on his mind than fear.   
  
"She looks asleep," observed Jimmy. He looked around the room, trying to find a friendly face. "How did this happen?" he asked no one in particular, since no person was forthcoming.  
  
"He is trying to kill her!" cried the elderly woman, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. She pointed a knobby finger in the direction of the fireplace and began cursing vehnememtly at the man.  
  
"Oh be quiet you old hag," sighed the unfrazzled man. "You always think I'm trying to kill her."  
  
"You are trying to kill her!" she cried again. "My daughter is going to die!" The woman behind the couch began shaking and crying as she threw her head back dramatically.  
  
Bobby rushed to her side and ushered her to a nearby chair. "Now hold on a sec," he started. "Nobody is going to kill anyone. She's probably just asleep like my friend said." He looked to Jimmy for assurance.  
  
"One way to find out," replied the firefighter, drawing back the glass of water. Then he paused to reconsider his next move.   
  
The woman sitting in the chair fanned herself with her handkerchief and leaned back to rest her head. Feeling confident that she was all right, Bobby joined Jimmy back at the couch. "What are you going to do?" he asked slowly.   
  
Jimmy seemed distraught and slightly apprehensive as he continued to stare at the full glass in his hand. "This," he said, quickly throwing the water on the unconscious woman.   
  
And when she suddenly sprang into a sitting position, he dropped the glass and turned to Bobby. "I think everything is under control here now," he said. "Are jobs done."  
  
Bobby patted his friend on the back, relieved to see the woman awake. "Good job, Doctor Doherty."  
  
"It's nice to be able to help," he replied placatingly. "Now let's get out of here before the real freaky-freaky's come out of the woodwork."  
  
"Right behind ya," smiled Bobby dramatically.  
  
"You can't leave us here like this!" cried the old woman bolting upright in her chair.  
  
"Watch us," mused Jimmy under his breath. Then he raised his voice. "We really have to get going."   
  
"Yeah," chimed Bobby. "Our friends will be wondering what happened to us."  
  
"Can't you do anything about the power?" asked the little girl concerned. "You were so helpful with my mother. There must be something you can do?"  
  
Jimmy pushed Bobby forward, figuring it was his turn to take the reigns.  
  
And when Bobby looked into the girl's bright green eyes, he found it hard to refuse. This sudden urge to help overcame him and he found himself complying with her plea. "I'll take a look, but I can't promise anything," he found himself saying.  
  
In the blink of an eye Jimmy was right beside him urging him to change his mind- he'd had enough.   
  
Bobby shrugged and gave a thoughtful glance. "It can't hurt to take a look," he offered.  
  
"Fine," stated Jimmy, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "You look around, I'm going back to the Jeep to get our cell phones. With any luck they'll be working now. And by the way, we just left it out on the road you know. I'll go get it and meet you out front." He was more than ready to get out of this house and back on the road.  
  
"Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!" cried the distinguished man at the mantle. He stepped to the window in a dramatic gesture and turned to his intended audience- the storm. "You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks!" He finished his performance with a bow and crooked smile. Then he turned to his guests waiting for their gratuitous applause.   
  
Jimmy took two steps back towards the door, staring strangely at the obscure man. "Now *that*, is a strange man," he whispered in Bobby's direction.  
  
"It was Shakespeare!" proclaimed the gentleman. "Don't you know anything?" he asked irritably.  
  
"It was a wonderful rendition, sweetheart," cooed the mother from the couch. She looked adoringly at her husband and offered her hand for him to join her on the couch.   
  
That was enough to convince Jimmy that something was definitely rotten in the state of Denmark! He turned on his heel and headed straight for the front door.  
  
Bobby followed Jimmy into the dark hall and gave him a last piece of advice before he started back to his Jeep. "Be careful out there," he said in a hushed tone. "Don't get lost."   
  
"Don't worry about me, buddy," smiled Jimmy nervously, peering over Bobby's shoulder down the hall. "You're the one staying behind with the Addams family." With that, he turned and began a slow trot toward the road. After a few steps his gentle gait turned into a full throttle sprint.  
  
*********  
  
(Read on...Please.)  
  



	3. Drive, Jimmy!... Just Drive! Chapter II...

  
  
Drive Jimmy!...Just Drive!  
********************  
  
Bobby watched his friend disappear into the night, then turned back to the situation at hand- the lack of power. He returned to the parlor to find the once sleeping woman sitting up, lighting a cigarette. The elderly woman had joined her on the couch and was fussing over her decision to light up. The distinguished younger man had returned to his vigil at the fireplace while the girl, Sarah, had found something to play with over in the corner.   
  
He couldn't figure this family out. A moment ago the man was spouting Shakespeare, and moments before that he was being accused of attempted murder...? And now they seemed like one big happy family. It looked to Bobby like a case of collective schizophrenia. He was beginning to think Jimmy had the right idea. But, he had promised the girl.   
  
Bobby decided to check on the woman before going off in search off the fuse box. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, thank-you," she returned, taking a long drag of her cigarette. "I get excited very easily and I tend to pass out. I'm sorry to have bothered you."   
  
"It's all right," answered Bobby. Since she seemed to be all right, and he had no intentions on finding out what had scared her- that seemed obvious, he decided to hurry. But one thing still bothered him.   
  
"I was just wondering one thing," he added, scratching his head. "How did you know we were out there on the road? I mean, it seemed like Sarah knew where we would be. She just came running out of the fog like she expected to see us?"  
  
Sarah turned her attention away from the object she found so interesting in the corner, and gave Bobby a mischievous smile. "I didn't know you would be there," she said in a sweet, innocent voice. "I just went running for help when I couldn't wake up mother." She batted her long lashes at Bobby and grinned. "I guess I was just lucky you were there."  
  
"Yeah, lucky," replied Bobby, swallowing hard. He turned around to face the butler, or at least he presumed he was the butler, and gestured towards the door. "Can you show me where the fuse box is?"   
  
"Right this way." The butler gestured into the hallway, so Bobby removed his jacket and draped it over the couch and followed obligingly.   
  
Just as Bobby was about to disappear around the corner he looked back into the room. "I don't suppose any of you know anything about a car accident do you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. The occupants of the room stared back at him curiously, like he had just grown a second nose. "Never mind," he said shaking his head.   
  
He went after the butler and was led through the dark hallway to a door underneath the staircase. It was a small door and he had to lower his head as he crossed the threshold.   
  
"Is there anyone else in the house?" he asked.   
  
"No," the butler replied sourly, then passed him a flashlight from a shelf at the top of the stairs and pointed down the spiral staircase.   
  
Bobby took the light and began his slow decent. It wasn't until he was halfway down that he realized he was alone. He flashed his light back up the stairs to find nothing but empty steps- the butler had not followed. He shook his head. "Great," he muttered. "Now watch me get lost."   
  
And lost he became.   
  
Bobby had wandered around the labyrinth of a basement for over ten minutes trying to find the fuse box. He had turned so many corners, ran into so many dead ends, he was about to give up and return to the parlor. Also, the strong musty smell of the dungeon, that's what he was calling it, was making him nauseous. And he was getting sick of bumping into things in the dark.   
  
He only hoped someone had put new batteries in the flashlight he was using, cause if it went out, he was sure people would find his dead, rotted bodies years from now in some small, bleak corner covered in cobwebs. The image sent shivers down his spine as he finally decided to call it quits.   
  
Now, if only Bobby could find the staircase again.  
  
After another ten minutes he finally found one. It was a staircase, but he wasn't sure if it was the same one he had climbed down. Either way, it was up and that was the direction he wanted.   
  
He started his ascent, taking each step carefully as he trudged one foot after the other up the winding staircase. Each step creaked and moaned under his foot as he continued to climb. It seemed longer going up than it did going down. Bobby was sure he had climbed at least two stories when he finally came across a landing. He opened the door and peered out into an abandoned hallway.   
  
He had no idea where he was, but he was certain he wasn't in the front hallway. Stepping into the hall, he scanned the area with his flashlight. It appeared to be some sort of corridor which ran in two different directions.   
  
It was richly decorated with a crimson red carpet and dark hardwood walls and flooring. Spread out in intervals along the walls were oil lamps, but they were not lit- leaving the hall dark and portentous. The ceiling was high and vaulted, which left Bobby feeling smaller than he already felt in the great house.   
  
"Hello!" he called, hoping to hear some sort of response to follow back. "I'm lost!" Bobby called again when he received no answer, except the sound of his own voice bouncing back to him.   
  
*Damn.* He thought, and started down the hallway.   
  
Having no intentions to return to the basement, Bobby decided to find another staircase. He walked down the hall bouncing the light of his flashlight off the walls. There were numerous doors, but all were locked when he tried to open them. At the end of the hall he could hear branches scrapping against a window and quickly picked up his pace.   
  
Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder resounded throughout the old house and another flash of lightening lit up the entire hall. He caught a quick glimpse of a familiar young woman standing in front of the window at the end of the hall, but she disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared when the lightening dispersed. He flashed his light where the woman had been standing, but couldn't see her anymore.   
  
With his heart racing, Bobby ran towards where she had once been. He tried both doors at the end of the hallway and found one that opened. Peeking his head in first, he stepped gingerly into the room. To his surprise a light was on. Upon closer examination he noticed it was a candle burning under a homemade light shade. It seemed extremely careless and hazardous, and he felt compelled to put it out.   
  
Bobby crossed the room, careful not to trip. And as he blew it out he felt a sudden chill. Aside from the light of his flashlight, he was once again in darkness.  
  
"Why did you do that?" asked a small voice behind him.  
  
He spun around and aimed his flashlight in the direction of the voice. A woman in a light chiffon nightgown was standing in the corner looking at him with dismay. Bobby took in a deep breath when he recognized the woman from the road earlier. "I didn't know you were there..." was all he could muster to say in his sudden state of fear and shock. The butler had informed him that no one else was in the house, and as far as he was concerned, this woman constituted a someone.   
  
"I wish you hadn't done that," the woman continued in her soft voice. "I don't have any matches to relight it."  
  
Bobby didn't know what to say. His mind was racing with possible options, and the one most prevalent was GET OUT! Finally, he decided to say something logical. "It's not a good idea to leave a burning candle under fabric like that," he said, his voice quivering slightly. "It's a fire hazard."   
  
He looked back at the extinguished flame and noticed it had suddenly sprang back to life. He shuddered and jerked his head back to the woman in the corner. She was gone.   
  
Bobby spun around the room aiming his flashlight everywhere- trying to find the woman. But his search came up empty. With his heart trying very successfully to pound it's way out of his ribcage, he gave the candle one more blow and darted for the door before it relit itself again.   
  
This was it for Bobby.   
  
He ran down the hallway as fast as he could. Power or no power, the paramedic was leaving this place. Strange people was one thing, but disappearing ones- that was something all together different.   
  
He ran past the open doorway where the staircase led to the basement and paused before shaking his head and continuing further down the hall. He came to a screeching halt as the wall to his right suddenly opened up and revealed another one. Without thinking, he bounded down the stairs and found himself back where he started- the front hallway.   
  
With a sigh of relief, Bobby jogged towards the front door with every intention of continuing out into the night and back to the Jeep. He threw open the door as a crash of thunder filled his ears, and lightening lit up the front doorway. He saw a tall figure with no head standing in the rain sporting a long cape.   
  
The figure suddenly reached for Bobby, so he jumped back and slammed the door shut. He stumbled backwards trying to aim the flashlight back at the door, and watched in horror as the knob turned slowly and the door creaked open. Bobby stood frozen with fear as the figure in the rain framed the dark berth.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, Bobby?" asked the figure, stepping in from the rain.  
  
"Jimmy?"  
  
"Yeah, it's Jimmy. Who'd you expect, the Boogie Man?" the firefighter retorted, shaking the rain from the blanket draped over him. He had gotten soaked running back to the Jeep and decided to put on some extra layers to keep warm before driving back.  
  
"At this point I wouldn't have been surprised," replied Bobby, brushing past his friend on his way out the door. He continued out into the rain a few steps before looking back. "Where are you going?" Bobby asked, shading his head from the down pour when he noticed Jimmy wasn't following him.  
  
"I thought you were going to fix the power problem?" Jimmy yelled back, noticing the lights had not been restored. "Aren't you going to fix it?!" he continued, as he watched Bobby start down the front lawn towards the parked Jeep.  
  
"Forget it!" Bobby yelled back. "I've had enough of this place. Let's get out of here!"  
  
"What about your jacket?!" replied Jimmy, now noticing his friend's naked arms.  
  
"You get it! I'll wait in the car where it's safe and normal!" Bobby exclaimed, throwing open the door and climbing into the passenger seat. He quickly locked the door behind him.  
  
Jimmy shrugged. "All right," he muttered to himself as he headed down the hallway. When he got to the parlor he found the fire still burning, but no one was there. Bobby's jacket was folded neatly on the couch ready to go. Hesitantly, Jimmy walked over to retrieve it.   
  
He shivered as the room grew cold- even though the fire was still burning strong in the fireplace. Jimmy noticed the pipe the man had been smoking earlier resting on the mantle giving off a slight trickle of smoke. It was still lit, but there was no one around to smoke it.   
  
Jimmy didn't take the time to figure out where everyone had gone- he grabbed the jacket and ran for the door. As he rounded the corner into the hall he could swear he heard a small, childlike laugh emanating from the walls. Without another thought he warped to the front door and ran out to the Jeep; afraid to look back.  
  
He jumped into his seat, threw the jacket at Bobby, and slammed the door shut. Then he pushed down the lock and let out a sigh of relief.   
  
And when Bobby turned to look at his friend, he caught a glimpse out Jimmy's window. "Uh Jimmy," he stammered, his mouth suddenly dry and uncooperative. "Drive...Don't look, just drive," he ordered, starring in panic out the driver's side window.  
  
Unable to resist the urge, Jimmy whipped his head around to see what had suddenly caused Bobby's face to turn whiter than snow. It didn't take long for him to become as enthralled by the view as his friend. And he suddenly found it very difficult to convince his muscles to move.   
  
"Drive!" screamed Bobby, jolting him back to reality.   
  
Jimmy flinched and threw the Jeep into drive. He pressed on the gas, causing the tires to kick up dirt behind them as they sped across the lawn. Driveway or no driveway, he didn't care. He just wanted to get out of there.   
  
Meanwhile, Bobby kept staring at his sideview mirror in utter shock. The tableau was empty. There was no ominous house with ivy creeping across it's structure. There was no man smoking a pipe in a blue smoking jacket. There was no butler waving good-bye. Only a large empty clearing slowly being consumed by the thick fog rolling across the landscape.   
  
"There's nothing there is there?" asked Jimmy, keeping his eyes glued forward.  
  
"Nope," replied Bobby, joining his friend in his stare out the front windshield. "Nothing."  
  
"I won't say anything if you don't?"   
  
"Drive Jimmy...Just drive."  
  
*********  
  
~The End... Now go read the next in the series 'Drive, Bosco!... Just Drive!'~  
  



End file.
